Sunday, April 07, 2013

Things seem finally to have settled into a pattern, but most definitely the new Pope's pattern. The post-Francis Church will be different. Whatever template of mercy he wants to teach the Body of Christ, assuming he has his way, will be transformative. But that's the pattern for popes in the last century--strong personalities and each with his own devotion to Christ and vision of the Kingdom.

And Francis' address to the world is certainly a contrast with Pope Benedict's high patristic theology. From the Osservatore: "The Pope then recounted a personal experience linked to his memory of a man, the father of eight, who worked for 30 years in the Archiepiscopal Curia of Buenos Aires. “Before going out, before going to do any of the things he had to do”, the Holy Father said, “he would always whisper to himself: 'Jesus!'. I once asked him 'But why do you keep saying “Jesus?”'. 'When I say 'Jesus', this humble man answered me, ‘I feel strong’, I feel able to work because I know he is beside me, that he is keeping me'”. “And yet”, the Pope said, this man “had not studied theology: he had only the grace of Baptism and the power of the Spirit”. And “his witnessing”, Pope Francis then admitted, “did me so much good. The name of Jesus. There is no other name. Perhaps it will to do good to all of us”, who live in a “world that offers us such a multitude of 'saviours'”. At times, “whenever there are problems”, he noted, “people do not commend themselves to Jesus, but to others”, even turning to self-styled “magicians”, “that they may resolve matters”; or people “go to consult tarot cards”, to find out and understand what they should do. Yet it is not by resorting to magicians or to tarot that salvation is found: it is “in the name of Jesus. And we should bear witness to this! He is the one Saviour”." (http://www.osservatoreromano.va/portal/dt?JSPTabContainer.setSelected=JSPTabContainer/Detail&last=false=&path=/news/vaticano/2013/080q13-Messa-del-Papa-a-Santa-Marta--Nel-nome-di-G.html&title=Only%20the%20name%20of%20Jesus%20is%20our%20salvation&locale=en)